Joy Shannon Joy Shannon set out on an endeavor to homeschool her children. She imagined it would be a challenge and sometimes even quite difficult. She did not, however, have any idea how profoundly changed she would be by a somewhat obscurely known woman called Charlotte Mason. Over the years Charlotte Mason has become like a dear friend, and Joy has found she is simply not the same. Quite frankly, she has fallen in love with Charlotte Mason. Each year has brought a deeper understanding of her educational philosophy as she attempts to implement Mason’s principles “not more or less” but more fully each year. Nine years later and the first of three graduated, Joy and her husband, Wes, have found their children are indeed getting a rich and full education, but what is more, they are all learning to really live. What a delight! This year finds Joy partaking of a rich CM feast alongside her sons, ages 17 and 13. She enjoys quiet moments with a book or close friends, making entries in her nature diary, and chocolate. She considers it a privilege to serve as a moderator on the AmblesideOnlineForum, to contribute to the Charlotte Mason Institute Blog, and to have shared at A Continuing Conversation and the Living Education Retreat. She also enjoys being a part of a growing Indianapolis CM community, co-facilitating a local CM discussion group, participating in a CM learning community, and as always, talking about Dear Charlotte. Bethany Stillwell Bethany Stillwell is a nurse turned full-time mother who resides in Westfield, IN with her husband Dave and their four children, ages 7, 5, 4, & 1-1/2. She was introduced to Charlotte Mason’s philosophy several years ago as a late teen, yet began her own intentional journey with CM when she began to stay at home with her children four years ago. Her children keep her busy from morning till night as they are in the middle of their second year of homeschool. Some days she feels more like an air traffic controller than teacher, but the Charlotte Mason philosophy challenges her, encourages her, and inspires her to press on through the hard days to the beauty that lies beyond. In February of 2017, Bethany founded The Living Bookshelf, an online bookstore of used books, to provide a place for individuals and families to discover previously owned books to treasure as their own and in turn gain an enriching life through living literature. She is an advisor for the Facebook group “Indianapolis Charlotte Mason Community” (ICMC) and attends a local CM book discussion. She delights in reading, music, the sharing of labor and delivery stories, and conversations about Charlotte Mason & her philosophy, as it applies not only to education, but to all of life.
Micah Pettes Micah is a homeschooled homeschooler who set out 6 years ago to dive into the Charlotte Mason method with her then 6, 5, 4, and 1 year old children. Micah is co-facilitator of a CM book study, has attended CMI conferences and local retreats, and is always trying to grow in her knowledge of Charlotte's methods. She currently homeschools her 4 children (in three different forms) and as part of a CM learning community she has led sloyd activities, hymn studies, artist and picture study, Bible, and more. Most days she feels she learns more than her students, but through the grace of God they are all growing from the Feast set before them. She attributes her homeschool success to her Indianapolis CM community, her husband Brad who works from home and actively participates in their school day, and to God, who continually gives her strength.
Stephanie Lee After teaching art in public schools for 6 years, Stephanie became a stay-at-home mom. When her oldest was in pre-school, she was introduced to the ideas of Charlotte Mason. So a rich, life-giving journey began 4 years ago, with much reading, many book discussions, and invaluable mentors. Stephanie and her husband Ryan have 2 boys, ages 5 and 8. They enjoy the outdoors with a menagerie of plants and animals on their 5-acre property. Stephanie has a heart for community and is actively involved with church, a local mom's group, and hosts various art and nature opportunities.
Julia Wilson Julia’s journey of homeschooling began when she and her husband Gary lived in Muncie, Indiana. There they served in an inner-city ministry where they cooked, served food, and reached out to families in the area. The leaders of the ministry at the time were homeschooling their four girls. Julia thought they were crazy and just wanted to further her career as a dietitian. It is amazing how God used the minister’s wife and her love of homeschooling to plant a seed within Julia! When Julia’s oldest child was ready to start school, God had changed her heart toward homeschooling and the journey began. Right from the start Julia knew that she wanted to use living books, sing hymns, and teach her kids about the history of real people, but had no idea about Charlotte Mason. It wasn’t until her sixth year of homeschooling, that Julia started searching. She knew that there was more to this journey than what she was giving her three boys. God then led her to the book A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola. Once Julia sampled a taste of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education there was no turning back. She began to meet other moms who loved Charlotte Mason and developed friendships that would encourage and help her in learning more about the Charlotte Mason philosophy. In the Summer of 2014, Julia attended a Charlotte Mason retreat and witnessed the love that other moms had for this lady and knew that this was the path for her family. Julia is now in her fifth year of teaching Charlotte Mason’s philosophy to herself and her kids. She continues to cultivate her knowledge of Charlotte Mason by reading Charlotte's Original Home Schooling Series and by facilitating a homeschooling group with other moms in her area. She and Gary now live in Danville, Indiana and have been married for 24 years. They have been blessed with six children, Mason (19), Elijah (17), Noah (15), Lindsey (13), Benjamin (10) and Ava (2). The journey continues and Julia hopes that she can plant a Charlotte Mason seed inside another mom’s heart just like the one planted in hers.